OK, OK – - I will admit that the New Year has put me in “Goal Setting/Planning” mode. As with many of you, I am trying to start the year “doing the right things right the first time”.
With that said, I have made a commitment to goal setting & planning again . . . Over the last year or so, while I have continued to develop quarterly, weekly, and daily goals/plans (I started doing this in 1993!); I can’t say that I have always “practiced what I preach”.
So over the holidays, I put together goals for 2008 and the first quarter of Q1. What am I going to do differently this year (so far…)?
1. I am reviewing my goals each week (usually over the weekend as I do my Perfect Day/Perfect Week Plan). You can’t develop goals then put them away. They have to be part of your life.
2. I have re-committed to the Perfect Week Plan. For those that haven’t attended one of our workshops, check out the Article I wrote for ERE a few years ago (A Perfect Week, The Perfect Day). This is already paying dividends in that I am more focused throughout the week.
3. Just trying to have the discipline to stick to my perfect day plan. It can get easy to create a plan, then push it aside once the day starts.
4. This 3:00 O’clock Coffee Break thing (see 1st post below) is helping as well.
For those of you that don’t have clear, written goals for the year, don’t have a quarterly plan and/or don’t do weekly/daily planning – - I can’t think of anything more important to improve your performance.
To help motivate you and to provide some solid advice on this subject, I would encourage you to read ‘Eat That Frog’ by Brian Tracy. What an awesome, motivating book on this subject. Some powerful messages I picked up from reading the book (I have seen some of these statements before . . . and it was great to read them again):
“Only about 3% of adults have written goals.” These people accomplish five and ten times as much as people of equal or better education and ability but who, for whatever reason, have never taken time to write out exactly what it is they want.”
“One of the most important decisions you will make each day is you’re choice of what you will do immediately and what you will do later, if you do it at all.”
In study after study, of men and women who get paid more and promoted faster, the quality of “action orientation,” stands out as the most observable and consistent behavior they demonstrate in everything they do. Successful, effective people are those that launch directly into their major tasks and then discipline themselves to work steadily and single minded unto those tasks are complete.”
“Many people confuse activity with accomplishment.”
“Whenever you complete a task of any size or importance, you feel a surge of energy, enthusiasm and self-esteem.”
“Rule of Greatness – Think on paper.”
“There is one quality that one must possess to win; and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants and a burning desire to achieve it.”
Another motivating piece of material is ‘Going the Extra Mile’ from the book – Think and Grow Rich from Napoleon Hill.
Both of these books inspired me and most of all . . . improved my performance and productivity.
Let me know what you think.
I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEK!